The games, often described as roulette machines, allow punters to gamble up to £100 a spin and have been heavily criticised as gamers can lose vast sums in the blink of an eye.

But the Association for British Bookmakers (ABB) disputes the claimed figures - and says far more is spent locally on other leisure pursuits such as the cinema, pubs and eating out.

Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham has raised the issue in Parliament before, saying FOBTs are “sucking money out of the pockets of the families who can least afford them”.

Alex Cunningham (Image: Evening Gazette)

And a recent letter from a Church of England bishop to Chancellor Philip Hammond has slammed the “devastating” affect of the machines, blaming the pressure of huge losses on a rise in violent crime.

A government review to try and curb the machines’ impact was delayed, and will now be delivered in the autumn.

But campaigners want the maximum stake to be dramatically reduced to £2 per spin, with the Campaign for Fairer Gambling describing the machines as “easily accessible, high-stake, high-speed, hardcore gaming machines”.

The campaign says: “The maximum stake on FOBTs (should be) reduced to £2 spin to bring them in line with all other gaming machines in the UK.”

During 2016, punters lost £12,360,246 across Middlesbrough , Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland.

The ABB said: “We do not recognise these figures which merely represent a rough calculation... and do not reflect the position in Teesside.”

The ABB says FOBTs represent just 13% of the total money spent on gambling, “strongly encourages” people to gamble responsibly, and that 500 highly trained staff are employed by Teesside bookmakers to provide help to anyone getting into difficulties.

The trade body says FOBTs have a range of responsible gambling measures - including time limits - not replicated in amusement arcades, and point to a Gambling Commission report published in August which stated that problem gambling levels in the UK are ‘statistically stable’.

“More work still needs to be done and betting shops will strive to help our customers gamble responsibly and to share best practice across the industry,” the statement continued.

The ABB also says local bookies paid nearly £10m in taxes every year, and each pays on average £10,000 in business rates.

FOBTs are normally found in high street betting shops, and Labour MP Mr Cunningham said they have been a regular source of controversy as the machines are highly addictive.

Mr Cunningham has previously urged the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to deal with the issue, and said: “It is vital that the Minister looks carefully at how they compare to the way other machines are regulated.”

How much Teessiders lost, according to the Campaign for Fairer Gambling: